Piano-action.



E. A. MAYOR.

PIANO ACTION. APPLICATION FILED OCT-'1, 1912.

1,135,386. Patented A r. 13, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS c0 PHOTO-LITHOH WASHINGTON, o c.

30 f ferred to isfentirelyeliminated a;

1 A further objectof thejinvention is -'to.-*fl

provide a catcher or hook vmounted.kuponp: vtheibaek check and engaging the back stopz' iSO that-as the? Wippen:; fa11snp0n the release? of a key, and iftthe hammer. sticks, the hook Will engage the ,back stop andj 'retractrthe} "hammer as isillustrated inj my pendingsap- .3

648,231,filedtSepteini I l'lgfwhich. 'atf -its-end suportsqthe 'ham zmer :12. This hammer normally bears exposedrto "dampness; By j eliminatingqthe bridle stmpand providing; a positive means 5 for ;,retracti-ng the hamxner, the [action-is 1:

" theiaction grail vand 3 the wippen pi xio'tally-q i mounted upon theaction;railv by means: off i v ,;p1ieation SeriaINo.

4O I -v V A'ffurther objeetis to so-form this catehen' hook that itis readily adjustablebybend- 4; ingso as to increase or; decrease th distan e'a between the bill of the hook: andthe face 0f theibaek cheek.,

To allabhom-it,nt a' l concern: 1 i

" [citizen (of the United States, residing fatf "San; Antonio inthel eonnty ofBexarfi'and "State of Texas, have invented certain new;

the number 'of parts'iny olved ,therein' and ti'c'ularly toplayer, pianos.

, I made more certain,i the cost of "manufacture: 1

reduced andthe'ehance oilinjury'aboxze re-gi I @the W1ppen.fiange 4. 4

beri 7, 1911-.

; A further" object 15 is to so form this hook-'5 that it may be readily adjusted longitudi nally of the back checkfeither 7 by rotating to the back check as to ,preventrall chant:

off-rattle. 1 p;

. it 7 the back heck andlh ol ding the hcugkst'etdy,

:S illi th s i cti 7 r" I if n n ithe fviirbnlYfrbm= fa11ing down when'th'e action i b i handle n *the; following deseription.f* i n v r-jand usefnlImprovements in,PianoAotion's, 1 My;invention isillustrated: in; the aoeom i of which thefollowing isa-sjiecification; a i v invention relates tOipiaIlO'flCfiQDSfl n particularly. to that part, of the aetion whichitf controls the reboundkof the hammer .and/ chides-the baek-stop, ftheibackicheck, 'brid le strap" and the siipportingnmmbers therefor; 1

' a The vprimary object of}..inyiinvention is to simplify tliis part-ofathe piano; reduce panyingdrawingswhereinz.

, adjust it. Fig.v Sfisja tieWllikeFiig; 4b

fatente diipri takenloutof" the pianofeasej r Other objects willa pearfin the ieoii rs'e' oft :F gm e l'is ajjse'tional View of; aportion jvof 'an 'upright pianoaetion; the: hamm r be}, ing in'its normal-or retr'aeted position; Fig is a like View to {Figs-=1" b ut showing the position oftheparts occupied by thenraf-ter I r the hainlnerfisi struck and? before it 'is. IB-ftraetedl Fig: 3 is a'fragnfentary sideyelevationof theibaekehfe'ck and-{thehook mount-FM I increaseithe valuable space Withinfthe piano Lied-thereonbefOre'FtheabQOk-iS bent downward case so that othermeehanisms'ma ybe plaeed'finto' its gbackgstop engaging position." iF-ig. ;vwi thin this.-space and notincommodegthe .i

actionitse1f51thns ada ting {the dei ice par- 2O .1

' Affurther objeetfiisgto eliminate thebrid j'strap and the supporting iv;ire. therefor-5; I' Thisstrap is frequently inj urdaor destroyed i t by'miceg'and then theihalnmerifails to work properly: 7 espeeially j whensthe f instrument ,iSIi I v a v in all the'vie'ws f, the'hecompanying draw atis; a fragmentary section ofthebac k che1;,-- thei'dotted linesghowing the? diifernt ways in" Which-the, hookimay -be bent in *order to showing e ma; man ers 3 bending? the? hook Eto; sec'u re a; proper. ad'j u stinent thereof! P tipn: and indieated ings'by the sarnefreferenee' characters; 5 fReferringto these drawings, '24- designates h 85i1l g tes"the*haminer butt pivotally:

fly as I is pivotally 1,. ear ried, .n'pon.v f the .wippenB byimeans of the flange 84 V button disposed upon the regulating "rail-{10.

' The hammer 5 :ca'rries :thevham-mer shank j ,againstf'the hammer rest rail 13. These 1 art'sare those oi-dina'rily to befoundin l pl frightpiano actions'a-ndiireqiiire"no further description}, x'f-i it 1 y i' is ,Projectingifromthe front face ofthe blitt 15, jthat'iis, the face opposite'-"ithe-. strings 30f h t theinst'rument; is a' shank l l earryingo uponits endyth'e baekgstop =Thisbacl; stop' is ivsom'ewh'atj longer than the Ibaeki stop ":ordi

narily foundtin standard 'pianozaetions, that. is it is extended upward; asap 1:5, 'the oiiter pfaee of extension-p1 sxbeihgt disposed in? ard froma heffa O 'f the bodyioffthejstop H while the inner face is beveled. This back stop on itsfront and rear faces is, of course, to be covered with leather 16 as is usual.

Supported upon the wippen 3 is the upwardly projecting back check wire '17carrye ing at its upper end the ordinary back check" 1 S whose inner face is faced with felt 19. a It will be observed from Figs. 1 and Q'tha't the felt '16 where itpasses overupon the? beveled face of the extension is not attached entirely to the beveled face but is transversely puifed as at'QO so that a space is left between; the leather and the beveled face be understood, of course, that the. space between the leatherand the stop is relatively 7 end as at 26 so as to have screw. threadedengagement with: the gba ckcheck. This also is a vital point of my invention as it pro slight. y I 1 7 Supported upon the upper end of the back checklS and extending inward toward the hammer shanklland above'the upper end of;the stop-15 isthehook-shaped member 21.

Preferably this member is of 'wire or like material and is not fresilient. Preferably this member is angular in form. and origi portion. of the hook 23 disposed atan obtuse nallyzhas the form-illustrated inflFig. 3, that. is, it has a shank 22 :with the body angle tothe shank: and a bill 24. disposed thewoodof the back check18.-

at approximately a rightangleto the shank, thisbill however being slightlycurved outward and being slightly flattened with the extremity bent outwardas at The shank 22xis screw;threadedas at 26soas to The object inmaking the. hook 21 angular in form is tovprovide for a proper: bend;

ing ofthe hook to adjust it to circumstances.

Originally as stated, the hookis inserted in the backcheck as shown in Fig. 3' and afterwards the workman who is adjusting the ac tion bends the hookso as to accommodate it to-the stroke of the key. It will be obvious that if the key has a relatively long or deep stroke, the hammer and-consequently the backstop will move further thaniwhen the key has a shallow stroke, and that "hence the hook 21 must be bentsoasto bring the .-bill 24 nearer to or further fromthe inner face of the back check felt.19.1 Thisadjustment is secured by bending the hook in the mannershown in Figs. 4' and 5..

Originally. the hook is as shown in dotted linesat a of Fig. 4.. The shank may be bentinward at the'junction of the body 23. with the shank as shown dotted lines; at 6' in Fig. 4, or the hook maybe'bent so that the shan'kIand body ofthehookare at was right anglesas-shown infull linesat c in 4. It will thus be seen that'there is f considerable difference between the position shown at 1 0' and the position Shawn e Z),

enter.

the a body of the hook.

and that the billjof theh'ook is much nearer i l the faceof theyfelt 19fat'0-than it'isjfat'b.

ticular' instrument may readily bend the wire forming the" hook at anydesired point.

lhis is an exceedingly important pointof 'Inyi'nvention; The hooks cannot be turned.

out so as to bethe same for all actions.

They must be individually adjustedby the 4 l finisher to suit'the varying circumstances of each particular case. Againit is to be noted 1 V v .85

thatthe shank22 isscrew threaded-at its vides for adjustingthe height of the hook [relative to the back check and relative to the stop and this adj u stmentmay be secured by and holding the hook 21 from rotation. It would be impossible when theaction is in place to adjust'thehook 21 by rotating the hook itself inasmuch as, the laterally ad rotating'the back check uponthe wire 17 jacent parts of-the action are too, closeto 7 permit a rotation of the hook. Furthermore in finishing and regulating all upright actions, the back checks are individually raised or loweredby turning them upon the wire 17. I By insertingfthehook 21 in a socket formedin-the back check, it is easy to rotate 7 the. back check without rotating the hook. The hook 21 shouldbe so adjusted. thatwhen' the hammer is forced against the strings as in Fig. 2, the extremity of the ,bill of thehook will just escape the shank 14 and the extremity of thestop' will just escape touching the hook. "The distance between the bill ofthe hookand the shank 14 should be greater than the distance between the upper extremity of' the stop and In order to prevent the wippen from falltaken out of the piano case, I- provide the action rail 2 with a projecting ledge 27 -Whioh as illustrated is triangular in form, the outei'borner of the triangle being cov 'upper face of the ledge 27 when the'jack hasbeejn droppedbelow the position shown in Fig. 2. It will beseenfthatthis shoulder 1 15. ing when the action is being handled and hasone ofthe functions of the bridle tape in that it prevents the dropping of the wipen when the actionis'taken out of a piano case; It will furtherbeyiioted that this, *Undereordinary'circurnstanceathe.hookfis .s'paced alongiits.wholellength from the back-{ 1 stop 15 andonly contacts withthisback stop Where' the hammer action! is sluggish due for 5 instance to dampness.Q Wherethe i'hannner:. fail toifa'll back the extremity of the hook downwardkand away fromthe hammer. and 3 gfthehookfll is also carried downwardjand outward that is, away from the stringsand will in its inovement-, if the hammerllbegref tarded,v engage the bevel ifacel"of-thea backz- "shoulderfor ledgegl 2 7 acts" 'to support the r wi ppen in such position [that *thei'catcher hook 2 3 can 1 not fall below -the=,back;:-stop 15, [even should the wip'pen; tend to drop "below its normal ,positiongfor': any reason. a v --II 1 other words,i;the*1edge 27actsytohold the hook at all timeslinproper position with relation tothe-backcheck Y the stop illistaywhere checked. n

Normally or When" the parts f are in the position-shown? in Fig, the -'hook*2 l lis i d of the backqstopi 1 15,but in the operationaofmyqdeyicelwhen; ;the piano key isfstruck athe wippe liis fcarffj ried upward and thisgu'pward m'oYementof" Qthe Wippen 'carriesggthei back checkj51 8' ina direction toward the strings of gt-he instrument-and slightly llPWQifdfflIld Off'COlllSG car-a ,5: v ries the hook 21 With;it,-leayingthe'hammer: free toj be projected against the strings of the. falls 1 with}; the} spaced frorn the, upper;

instrument; As the a Wipp'en' stop; 15.jand positiyely retract th hamlner,

causing it to return to} itslp'osition: against the hammer rail 5131;. The: 'contactbetween the bill of the hook and the' felt {20' oiithe back stop is very slight and wabsolutelynoiseless. This contact is just sufiicientto retract the h'ammerxif thehamnier, sticks,

" f., fsp'ace in'efrontfofthe action for the accome modationof piano -p1ayer mechanism. A

p space taken ,up by the'regular pianoaction,

My device is extremely; :simple, his" thor oughly positive its actiongandis not liable Wippen may be reduced; thus leaving more reductionof even one-eighth: inch in-the Where a piano player-mechanism is to be installedin front of the; regular piano action is of'bigfconsideration. Every efiort'isma-de to reduce'the size ofthe actionwhere piano thereof.

J playermechanism is to'be disposed in from The reason for cutting; away thefacefoft" th'eback; st0 15 so astoform' the shoulden "16 isthat this-sh0u1deractst0check any: up-

I wardmovement'ofthebackstop relativeto the back. check; and I :find'by; experience that this cutting away of the; uteriaceof'the 'c I back-stop. lessensany sliding ';-I'novement of; theitw o parts relative to eachzother 'jso that;

rounded.

heck is carried today-for; the

ivery" sligh *and;

the stops-Tand .positively"draws the' hammer backgi Thi's {engagementi v 1 e is practicallywith'out friction. ;With5my in-,

ventionf there is *no necessity of having-a 1 spring 'for retracting the "hammen thoughf of courseuthespring maybe nsedhf The WliOlQ weight pf; theqwippen, .back check and ati-i. tached. parts act 'to draw the hammer back;

in-case it sticks.- 'i'llhe hook'21 does not. bear at all upon the{backfstopl except when the a i "hammer issluggish' and tlienonly upon a 're "tractionof the-hammen v X 3. Itisto be particularly notedthat tliebill ofthe hookfil is fla ttened as to that portion Whichgii-iight contact withzthe felt n; th ba'ckistop; ,This prevents any wear iyhich Y L I itakeplace -in strikihgith i n e;

A ofithe' back stop; andasthere-is no rubbing orfsliding moyem'ent5,th,e felt on this back top will not betorn. as it 'wouldiif the bill 1 5t ofv the hook. Wee pointed or 'even merely '5" j H Y i Itmay be said viding'fadevicewhich Will retract the hamthat, anykfof ,the partsaof theactionwbe I yvitli regardto tlon that 1t 1s d'es1gn'e'd With particular ref?" ;erence tor -making it" practical, Ethat. is,pro'- and effectiveness ofthe upright pianlofiaction ['1 I ii;

the work;

-- What'I claim'isri nation with a wippen, a hammer-butt, a

per end of the back check and projecting 1min present use," and this"withoutfincreasingL V the, costof thBrELCtlOIl {but on the contrary v 105 1 1 i fine 7 Fisher 7 in the; pianofactoryi can glue in thev hammerwithoutjunscrewingor taking as; r the fhooks 21, thus permittingv the hooks, 120. 1 bQQattached to the back jch eck'by the action makers andnotby the piano maker, it being: v impracticable as the industry is constituted piano makers to do'this part of v s 1 1. Inan uprightpia'no'action', the combi ,v

'abqve theusame, said hook being rigid and "comprising'an upwardly extending shank, an inwardly extending body portion .and a downwardly projecting bill adapted to en- 2 In h an uprightpiano' action, the combi gage behind the rounded extension of the 1 back stop/when thezhammerisraised;

back stop carried by the butt and a back check carried by the wippen, said b'ack stop havingan upward extension havingabeveled inner face, of a hammenretracting hook {of wire formed with a shank extendingpagn allel with the outer face of "the back check",

having screw threaded engagement with the back check and projecting abovethe, same,

aninwardly' bent body portion at an angle to thexshank, anda downwardly bent bill at an angle to the'body portion, said bill being flattened and outwardly curved.

V i 3.; In an upright piano action, the combination with a wippen, 'a halnmer-buth; a j shank projecting from the hammer-butt,

back stop, carried on the end of the shank and'a back check carried by the wipp'en and opposed'tdthe stop, said back stop having an upward extension,' the outer. face of) which is oifset from the outer faceof the body of the stop and the 'inner face of which is beveled, of ahammer retracting, hook comprising a screw threaded shank, a body portion inwardly projecting from the shank and having an angular relation thereto, and a bill having an angular relation to the body portion, said-hook extending inward toward the hammer-butt and having its bill normally lyingin a plane inward of the apex" of the extension of the back stop, the-shank of said. hook being screwed into the upper end of the back check. 1

l. An upright piano action including in' combinationan action rail, having a memaagberprojecting from the face thereof-,a wippen, a jackand a hammer butt, the-inside face of the jack adjacent the action rail be ing cut away to provide a shoulder at "the upperend of'the cutaway portion adapted to engage with said projecting member when the wippen is down.

An upright piano action includingin Copies of this patent maybevobtained for combination an' -actiohfrailhaving a mea ber projecting-from its outer face; a"wip-f' pen, a hammer butt, a jack mounted upon the wippen' and engaging the hammer butt,

inner face of the jack being cut 'awayto said jack "having anv outwardly P ojecting arm at its base,, and' a regulati b tt gaging saidr'outwardly proj tin a provide a shoulder the upper endof the cutaway portiony-adapted to engage-with said projecting member when the wippen is dropped. I

6. In an u ighvpi njo action, the combinationwith an action railfa' wippen, a hamon its] inner face engaging the projecting member on the action raita shank project- 'm'er-butt, a jack'monntedupon thewippen and engaging-at its upper end with the hammer-buttgsaidjack having a shoulder ing from the hammer-butt, a back stop carried on the end of the V shank and having, an'upward extension projectingabove the shank, and aback check carried by the wippen and opposed to the stop, of a hammer f retracting hook formed of rigid wire'having i i a screw threaded shank extending into the upper endof theback check and rotatably mounted therein, the body of the hook ex-,

tending inward from'the shank towards the V hammer-buttland.joyerthe-rounded upper end ofthe backstop but normally spaced 1 therefrom,the inner end of thebody of the hook being; downwardly bent to forin a bill adapted to engage with the beveled inner face of the backstop when the hammeris in-itslprojected"position; In testimony whereof I'IafliX my signature in presence of twowitnessesi- H FENOCH A. Witnessesz' WAMBY,

- MILLER- five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. 

